Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-10-07

pile Of music that stood there when he
came in softly and shat the door. Be
fore knew he was near | felt some
thing passed round my neck and heard
the snap of Il clasp behind. / put up
my hand and sprung to my feet,
startled. Mir. Rayncr, bright and
smiling. drew my hand through his
arm ana led me to a looking glass.
Flashing and sparkling round my
throat was necklace of red jewels
that dazzled me by their beauty.
Don't | keep my promise? / said l
would bring You some garnets. Do
thcv please you?'
Blu! they did not at all, after what
laurence had said; the magnificent
present filled me with terror. | put
up both hands. tore them off, and flung
them down with trembling fingers, and
then stood. painting with fright at my
own daring, wondering what he would
do to me.
He did nothing. After looking at
me for what seemed to me Il long time,
without the least sign of dispieasure he
picked up the neck acc. slipped it into
his pocket and said. quite gently:
That is very pretty spirit, but is
rather ungrateful isn't it? Never mind;
you shall make amends for it by and
by. Now will you 90 and help Mrs.
kayner TO entertain our lynX-cyed
friend? You shall come back and
fetch me at nine o'clock. Run along
now. my dear"
He gave me a gentle little tap of dis
missal, and, rather crestfallen, | re-
turned to the dining-rOom. But neither
my entertaining powers nor Mrs. Ray
ners were called into play; for Mr..
Maynard was already rather drowsy,
and after sleepily muttering bravo
very good!" as the last sounds of Schu-
bert's "Adieu" died away on Mr.. Ray
ners violin, | heard the regular breath
ing Of a sleeping person from the arm
chair where he was sitting. But l was
paying little attention To him. The
door being shut had gone closer and
closer to it, as if drawn by an irrcsist-
IDLE fascination, as Mr.. Rayner seemed
to play the ''Adieu" as he had never
played it before. Every note seemed
to vibrate in my own heart When the
last notes of the "Adieu" had died
away, l listened for the next melody
eagerly, and was struck with chilly
sense of disappointment as an air from
"RigOletto" followed.
1t was not that | did not care for
that opera, but certain hardness of
touch, which struck me ut once as be-
ing unlike the rich full tones Mr. Ray
ncr generally drew from his loved vio-
lin, grated upon my ear and puzzled
me. My glance stole to Mrs. Rayner;
and could see that she also was struck
by the curious change of style in her
husbands playing. 1t was as brilliant
as ever; the execution of one of the diff
ficult passages IN the arrangement of
Martha" was clever, more perfect
than usual; but the soul was not there,
and no brilliancy of shake or cadenza
could repay one for the loss. 1t did
not sound like the playing of the same
man, and my interest in the music
gradually died away; and, after WATCH
ing Mrs. haJncr curlolisly for some
minutes and noting the intentness with
which, sitting upright in her chair, she
was listening to the violin, and at the
same time keeping her eyes fixed upon
the slumbering Maynard, l gave myself
up to my own agitated thoughts. What
was going on at the hall now? Would
the constab!es catch Tom Parkes, and
would Gordon prove to be mixed up in
it? l hoped they would capture the
unknown James Woodfall, who must
be desperate criminal from the eager
ness with which the police had snatch
ed at the possibility OF capturing him.
Poor Tom Parkcs was probably only q
tool in the hands OF this monster. And
then fell to thinking sadly of the de-
ception Mr.. RsYner had practiced on
me, and Mrs. Rayner's warning came
to my mind. But it still seemed as
though there must be some explanation
which would exonerate Mr.. Rayner
from intentional wrong doing. One
does not quickly lose confidence in q
friend who had been so kind as he had
been to me. But when l realized the
nature and strength of the evidence
against him my tears fell fast. Sud-
denly the silence in the house was
broken by howl from Nap. Mr. Ray
ner's retriever, who was chained to his
kennel outside.
Mrs. Rayner started. Still Maynard
slumbcred. l looked at the clock; it
was seven minutes to nine. Another
and another howl from the dog, fol-
lowed by loud and furious barking.
We two women sat staring ut each
other, without . word. would have
spoken; but Mrs. Rayner glanced at
the sleeping detective and put her finger
to her lips. Still the sounds of the
violin came to US from the drawing
room without interruption.
When nine o'clock struck, jumped
up much relieved, opened and shut the
door softly, crossed the hall. and turned
the handle of the drawing room door.
1t was locked. l tapped, but there was
no answer. He was playing brilliant
concerto, and l supposed he had not
heard me. l knocked again and said,
softly:
MIR. Rayner, it is nine o'clock, you
told me to come at nine."
| 1t was no use to stand there knock
ing, so / went into the school-room. 1t
was ten minutes after nine and Nap
was barking more furiously than ever
was so much struck by the noise the
dog was making that unfastened the
shutters and opened the window about
an inch to listen.
The fog was binding. l could not
see yard in front of me. heard moth
ing but Maps barking for minute;
then / saw the dim glow of a lantern
and heard muflled whisper through
the fog:
'Who's that2'
at is Violet Christie. Is that you,
Laurencc?"
FLUSH! Alright" he whispered back.
LET me in"
He got in softly through the window.
and, rather to my alarm middlc-aged
man in plain clothes, also with a Ian
tern, followed him. Laurence himself
looked more alarming than any thief.
His face was CHASTITY white with fatigue
and dirtier than ever through long
watching in the fog. He listened for a
minute TO the vlOiin, tnen salQ quickly,
but still in low voice:
"Who is that playingP"
"Mr. Rayner," answered.
He turned sharply to the other man,
who nodded as if to say it was Just
what he had expected.
''How long has he been playingP'
asked Laurence.
Ever since half past seven."
He turned to the other man again.
"a trick" said the latter simply.
"WhO is with him?" asked Laurence
| aUain